Program

6 Dec 2016 20:00

Iva Bittova & Abraham Brody @ Vortex

Musicians Iva Bittová and Abraham Brody come from different traditions but with the same feeling and raw energy for performance. Improvisation and spontaneity play a large part in their solo work, as well as their collaborations, and together at Vortex in addition to their solo sets, they will perform a set of live duo improvisations in the spur of the moment, exploring all the possibilities and dimensions of the violin and voice.

IVA BITTOVÁ

Iva Bittová is a Czechavant-garde violinist,
singer, and composer. She began her career as an actress in the mid-1970s,
appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and
singing in the early 1980s. She started recording in 1986 and by 1990 her
unique vocal and instrumental technique gained her international recognition.
Since then, she has performed regularly throughout Europe, the United States
and Japan, and has released over eight solo albums.
Bittová's music is a blend of rock and East European music
which she describes as "my own personal folk music". Her violin
playing mixes different techniques, including playing the strings with various
objects and plucking them like a banjo. Her vocal utterances range from
traditional singing to chirping, cackling and deep throat noises. She puts her
whole body into her performances, drawing on her theatrical skills.http://www.bittova.com/

„What’s
important is total silence and an absolutely positive atmosphere. The violin
accompanies me all my life, difficult technical pieces enable to gaining
discipline, confidence, self–control, and a healthy measure of doubt. The
violin is a mirror reflecting my dreams and imagination.“Iva Bittová

ABRAHAM BRODYLondon
based classically trained american violinist Abraham Brody explores in depth
the participation of the audience in live performance by bringing the violin
into the genre of performance art. Most recently he was invited by Marina Abramović to Switzerland to perform a 6-hour version of his piece ‘The Violinist is Present’. His innovative compositions
deriving from Lithuanian and Ukrainian family background reinvent
and rework rye-reaping chants, midsummer songs, and rain
invocations.
Combining violin, loop pedals, traditional instruments his powerful voice draws
us to his enticing sound world.http://www.abrahambrody.com/